Deputy Operations ManagerNHS

Job summary

This is a genuine management position, not a support or admin role. You'll take day to day ownership of staffing, rotas, holiday approval, and administrative workflow across our front of house and back office teams, working closely with our Operations Manager. You'll be trusted to make decisions and resolve issues directly, escalating only where something has wider compliance, clinical, or partnership implications.

This role has been created to give the practice dedicated operational leadership as we continue to grow, so it's a genuine opportunity to shape how the role develops.

Main duties of the job

What you'll be doing

• Line managing our front of house and back office administrative teams, including conduct, performance, and day to day direction
• Approving staff holiday requests and building and managing reception, administrative, clinical, and room rotas
• Leading induction for new starters, including system access and EMIS setup
• Owning recruitment and onboarding administration from advert through to first day
• Sourcing locum and temporary cover at short notice and managing their induction
• Conducting appraisals and monitoring the practice training matrix
• Managing the EMIS appointment book and supporting with day to day IT issues
• Supporting the complaints process and owning the DNA letter process
• Deputising for the Operations Manager during absence

Job description

Team leadership and staff management

• Hold line management responsibility for the front of house and back office administrative teams, covering reception, administrators, and non-clinical support staff. This includes conduct, performance, and day to day direction
• Approve or decline staff holiday requests for the practice team, within 3 working days of submission, checking against minimum safe staffing levels before approving
• Build, publish, and actively manage reception, administrative, clinical, and room rotas at least two weeks in advance. Identify staffing shortfalls before they occur and escalate to the Operations Manager
• Lead induction for every new administrative and reception starter, covering system access, EMIS user setup, welfare check-ins during probation, and sign-off that induction is complete
• Own the administrative and logistical process for recruitment and onboarding end to end, from advertising through to first day readiness, with Operations Manager oversight
• Source and confirm locum and temporary cover for absence within 24 hours of a gap being identified, and manage their induction
• Conduct formal appraisals for members of the administrative and reception team annually, with documented objectives and follow-up
• Maintain and actively monitor the practice training matrix, chasing and closing out overdue mandatory training within 10 working days of it falling due

Operations and systems

• Own the EMIS appointment book, covering capacity planning, slot type management, and resolving day to day access issues
• Support with resolving IT issues affecting daily operations, resolving what can be resolved directly with IT and escalating issues requiring contractual or budgetary decisions
• Upload and keep current all practice policies on Teamnet
• Own the health and safety and fire safety administrative cycle, covering scheduling of tests and drills, keeping records current, and flagging any missed or overdue item directly to the Operations Manager
• Manage non-clinical stock levels and ordering
• Provide scanning and filing support for the Operations Manager

Complaints and patient administration

• Support and deputise for the complaints manager by Log every complaint, report, and IGPR request on receipt and drive it to resolution against the practice's agreed timescales, chasing internal contributors directly rather than waiting to be chased
• Own the DNA, did not attend, letter process end to end, including identifying patterns that should be flagged to the Operations Manager
• Triage and resolve queries and concerns from patients and staff directly wherever they fall within postholder authority, escalating in line with practice policy

Deputising and escalation

• Deputise for the Operations Manager on all routine operational matters during any period of absence, holiday, or leave
• Support the Operations Manager with any other requirement to meet business needs

About us

The Brooke Surgery is a busy, well regarded NHS GP practice in Hyde, rated Good by the Care Quality Commission and recognised in recent years for the quality of our team and patient care. We're a growing practice with a genuine focus on supporting our staff, and we're investing in our management structure to make sure that continues as we expand.